


You Love Her

by tabbytabbytabby



Series: Game of Thrones Season 8 [3]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Confessions, Episode: s08e02 A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, F/M, Feelings, Light Angst, Season/Series 08
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-25 14:02:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18575944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: In a quiet moment before the coming battle, Tyrion and Jaime talk about Brienne. When Brienne shows up, Jaime decides it's time the two have a long overdo conversation.





	You Love Her

The fire flickers in front of them, giving them some relief from the cold of the North. It’s still something Jaime is having to get used to. He’s experienced winter before, but never like this. He supposes it has a lot to do with the army of the dead marching their way.

Jaime closes his eyes and debates grabbing a glass of wine. Maybe if he drinks enough it’ll numb the fear that’s been steadily building in him. He’s a soldier. He’s used to battles. But no battle he’s fought could ever have prepared him for what’s coming.

“How long?” Tyrion asks, startling Jaime out of his thoughts.

Jaime turns his head towards him, “What?”

“How long?” Tyrion repeats.

“I’m afraid you’re going to have to be more specific than that,” Jaime tells him.

Tyrion levels him with a look, “Really? You don’t know what I’m talking about?”

“Forgive me, Tyrion. But you only said two words.”

“Two words can hold a lot of meaning,” Tyrion reminds him. “As can three.”

“And four and five,” Jaime says. “What’s your point?”

“How long have you loved her?” Tyrion asks him.

Jaime doesn’t have to ask who the _her_ is. He knows. He’s not surprised Tyrion has figured it out. He’s always been perceptive. But he also has to wonder how obvious he’s been.

“I don’t know,” Jaime says after a moment. There’s no point in denying it now. “All I know is there was a time I didn’t care at all about her. She was my captor and all I wanted to do was annoy her and get back to King’s Landing. And the next thing I knew I was saving her. More than once. And I realized that I did care for her. I think I realized just how much when I had to say goodbye to her and send her off to find Sansa.”

“I suppose I have her to thank for you becoming the man I always knew you could be,” Tyrion muses.

“I suppose so.”

“Are you going to tell her?” Tyrion asks him.

Jaime shakes his head, “How I feel doesn’t matter if she doesn’t love me.”

“You really are a blind fool if you can’t see the way she looks at you,” Tyrion tells him.

Jaime frowns. “How does she look at me?”

“The same way you look at her when you think she’s not looking,” Tyrion says. “I think the only two people that don’t realize how you feel about each other are you and Brienne.”

“That can’t be true.”

“It is,” Tyrion says, taking a sip from his wine. “I even had Bronn asking me if I thought you’d fucked her yet.”

Jaime’s eyes widen, “I wouldn’t.”

“You lost your hand defending her virtue,” Tyrion says. “I hardly think you’d take her to bed if you had no intention of marrying her. Which begs the question, is that what you want? Or you still so far up Cersei’s arse that you can’t let yourself have something you really want?”

“Tyrion…”

“She’s better for you,” Tyrion goes on. “And I think you know that.”

“I have nothing to offer her,” Jaime says, frowning down at his hands.

“You have more than you think,” Tyrion says. “Something tells me that Brienne would still love you even if you were poor and living in the streets. So, why not marry her?”

“It’s not that simple,” Jaime says. “Even without Cersei, I still gave up my right to marry when I joined the Kingsguard.”

“Yes, but you are no longer a member of the Kingsguard,” Tyrion tells him. “You were relieved from that a while ago. Something is holding you back. Cersei?”

“Yes, but not for the reasons you might think,” Jaime says.

“You think Cersei would hurt her if she found out,” Tyrion says.

“I think she’d have her killed,” Jaime says. “Or at least try to.”

“But you’d never let that happen.”

“No.” Jaime smiles. “Brienne would never let that happen.”

Tyrion laughs at that, “You’re probably right. She’d cut down any would be assassin before they even had a chance to get to her. Or you.”

The door opens and Jaime turns his head. He immediately stands up when he sees who’s just walked in. “Lady Brienne.”

He doesn’t miss the look Tyrion gives him, but ignores it.

He also doesn’t miss the way the wildling named Tormund looks at Brienne. But he can tell from the way she turns away, a look of disgust mixed in with amusement on her face, that she’s not as interested in him as he is in her.

Jaime feels his heart twist when they get on the subject of Brienne being a knight. As much as she might say or act otherwise he knows how much she wants to be one. He can agree with Tormund when he says to fuck tradition. There is no reason Brienne shouldn’t be a knight.

She’s a better warrior than some of the knights he’s seen fighting. More capable and just. He tells himself that’s the only reason he decides to knight her himself. That and he wants this to be something he can give to her. A small way of showing her he does care.

He takes in the way she smiles when it’s all over and feels his breath catch in his throat. He realizes it’s the first time he’s really seen her smile. It makes him want to cut down the whole undead army himself just so he knows he’ll be able to see her smile again.

He goes to turn away, and stills, his heart pounding in his chest. If there was ever a time to tell her, this is it. She’s still grinning broadly when he turns around.

“Lady Brienne, may I have a word?” It’s not until she’s striding across the room after him that he catches his mistake. He stops and bows his head. “I’m sorry. Ser Brienne.”

“You don’t have to call me Ser, Ser Jaime,” Brienne tells him.

“That is your title now,” Jaime tells her.

“Maybe we should just do away with titles for tonight,” Brienne says.

“You June for knighted and you’re already wanting to throw away your title?”

Brienne smiles, “Just for tonight. We’re all just people here, fighting the same battle. Lords, ladies, knights, everyone. Titles won’t matter when we’re out there fighting the dead. They won’t differentiate between a knight and a commoner. So why should we?”

“So tonight we’re just Brienne and Jaime,” he says.

“Just people who have chosen for whatever reason to spend what could be their last night on earth together.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” he tells her.

She studies his face for a moment. Not that she has to look hard. Jaime knows whatever he’s feeling has to be written all over his face. Jaime remembers what Tyrion had said about the only people that can’t see how they feel about each other being him and Brienne. He has to hope that Brienne can see it now.

“You’re telling the truth.”

“I am,” Jaime says. “You wanted to know why I’m here, Brienne. And it’s you. I came here for you.”

“Why?” She asks him. “Why me?”

“Because I love you,” he says. When she looks surprised he gives her a wry grin. “Is that really so hard to believe?”

“You could have anyone, Jaime.”

“I don’t want anyone,” Jaime tells her. “I want you. If you’ll have me, of course.”

She looks at him again, really looks. He eyes boring into his own. He doesn’t look away. He can tell the moment she finally gets it. Her eyes widen before she ducks her head, a small smile playing at her lips. “I will.”

“Good.”

“That’s under the assumption we both make it out of this alive,” she says.

“Don’t tell you’re now hoping we don’t.”

“Of course I’m not,” she says. “I…” he can see the hesitation in her face. The way she’s struggling with holding back and keeping things close to her chest. Finally, she squares her shoulders and looks him right in the eyes. “I love you too.”

Under different circumstances he might have made a joke about her saying it like she’s going into battle. But now isn’t the time. And truthfully, they both are going into battle. Just not with each other.

“I suppose we both better kill all the dead we can so we can make it back,” Jaime muses.

“Can we kill them if they’re already dead?” Brienne asks.

Jaime frowns. “Well something happens to them.”

“Do you think we can win this?” Brienne asks him.

Jaime wants to say yes. He wants to say they’ll all make it out of here alive and everything will be fine. But she’s not looking for false reassurances. She’s looking for honesty.

“I’m not sure if we’ll all make it out,” Jaime admits. “But I have to hope we will. That hope is all we have left.”

Brienne nods, “I hope we survive. If we do, I’d like to go home. To Tarth.”

“You know, I sailed by there once on my way to Bravos,” he tells her. “It looks beautiful.”

“It is,” she says, a small smile appearing on her face. “It’s small, but it’s home.”

“I’d love to see it someday,” Jaime says. “Up close and not from a ship.”

“You can come with me,” Brienne tells him. “I’m sure my father will want to meet you.”

The why hangs in the air between them, but no one mentions it. It’s something that can be discussed later. If and when they win this war.

He leans in and kisses her cheek softly before pulling back. He smiles when he sees her face has gone a light shade of pink.

“What was that for?”

“I wanted to,” Jaime says. “I wanted to kiss you, but I respect you enough to do not it with an audience. Or without your permission.”

“Audience?”

They turn their heads just in time to see Tyrion, Pod, and Davos looking away. Tormund keeps his gaze on them. He nods his head at Brienne and winks, and Brienne turns away with a frown.

“He likes you,” Jaime says.

“I know he does,” Brienne sighs. “I don’t know how to tell him I don’t return his feelings.”

“Words usually help,” Jaime says. “Or actions. Maybe seeing you with someone else.”

“I’m with you right now,” she says.

“Ah yes, but we’re talking. We’re acting like we normally do. Which, as Tyrion pointed out to me earlier, is apparently how two people in love act. But not everyone sees it like that. So maybe he doesn’t realize…”

She catches him off guard when she leans in suddenly and kisses him firmly on the lips. She’s pulling back before he can begin to kiss her back. “You talk too much,” she tells him.

Jaime laughs, “Did you really kiss me to get me to shut up? Or to prove that you’re not interested in anyone else?”

“Maybe I wanted to,” she says, mirroring Jaime’s words from before.

“I have to say I like this forward side of you,” Jaime tells her.

She smiles, and he has to wonder if maybe the wine is getting to her a bit. Or maybe she’s just finally letting herself be happy. Even for these small few hours. Tyrion calls them back over to join the circle. And that’s that. They’ve said what they need to say. Anything else would just make it harder to go out there and fight.

When the horn sounds, Jaime feels his dread start to build again, and continue to do so as they line up and wait for their fate. He looks at Brienne next to him and sees the determination on her face as she calls for everyone to stand their ground. As terrified as he is, he knows he’s in the right place. And if he is going to die tonight, at least it’s fighting next to the woman he loves.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/Comments make my day. ♥  
> [My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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